I follow a bunch of writing blogs–nearly 2000 now. And each time I find another writing blog out there (I’ll click a new follower’s link on Twitter, I’ll click a link in someone’s blogroll, etc.), I immediately click over and subscribe.
It’s funny, but 90% of the time, I can tell the writer’s genre from their blog. YA blogs pop on the page, mystery blogs have a lot of dark backgrounds (obviously Mystery Writing is Murder doesn’t conform! I have a hard time reading dark backgrounds, so I just made mine very minimalistic. But I did get the word “mystery” in the masthead…), romantic blogs have a softer look, etc.
To me, it’s instant branding. I get it. In my head I’m thinking, “Okay, when I’m looking for some great material from a YA/SFF/mystery/romance blog, then I’ll pop by here.”
There must be many other people who do the same thing—click over to a blog and get a feel for the writer who posts there and the material they write. I’m sure some of these folks are agents and editors who follow links in queries to blogs.
So I think it can be useful to either mention your genre in the subtitle of your blog (conventional wisdom states that it’s the best branding practice to have your name as the blog’s name—oops. :) ) or have the genre be obvious to anyone spending a few seconds on your site.
Helpful elements to have on your blog:
RSS feed button for those of us who like to quickly subscribe
Contact me link (you’ll want agents or editors or other people to be able to reach you)
A way to belong: While I’m subscribing, I usually want to click on a Networked Blogs follow button or some other type of followers button
Blogroll: These are great for link exchanges. (Are you on mine? If you’re not, let me know and I’ll add you to my blogroll.)
About me: Even if you’re anonymous you can spare a few tidbits. Something like “Science Fiction reader and writer who also enjoys writing poetry.” Just something.
Buy links: If you’ve got books out
Links to any social media you belong to. For my purposes, it’s handy to see a Twitter link if you have one so that I can @ you if I tweet a post.
Have any other tips for useful things to have on blogs? How does your blog introduce you to readers, writers, and others in the industry?
All great tips!
I struggle with the look of my blog, because while I write Mystery/Thriller/Fantasy MG & YA, I want the blog to have uniform appeal to my audience, which consists of writers & screenwriters of all genres and ages, as well as teachers and educators.
Hopefully I’ll have something more eye catching soon. :)
Excellent advice! I shall follow it as I get ready to set up and post on my blog :-) Thank you.
I usually follow just about any author or blog I come across. Then I read their stuff in my Reader and if it’s interesting enough, I will click over and comment – yay! You’re interesting. lol.
Have a great day and thanks for the advice on the blog!
{a href=http://www.bonnierpaulson.com/ }Bonnier {/a}
Elizabeth – I know what you mean about following blogs! There are so many out there that it is a good idea to “brand” your blog. You’ve given good advice, too. I think it’s also a good idea to have an “EMail Me” link or some other way to make direct contact. Oh, and I’ve found it useful to check my blog periodically to make sure all the links work. If a link changes or goes “down,” you don’t want readers clicking and getting no-where.
I can always tell the romance blogs – and hope my sons aren’t lurking in the backgrounds! :)
Maybe I need to change my masthead – I set it up when I was barely starting out, and had one romance short story on its way to publication. So, I don’t think my genre shows at first glance. Hmmm…one more thing to think about. I think I’ve got all the other elements. But I do like that tropical island picture!
Terry
Terry’s Place
Romance with a Twist–of Mystery
Good tips and I will have to figure out how to add some of the elements to my blog. I have some that you suggested, but not all.
I’m still toying with changing the title of my blog, too, but I hate to change from a title that I have been using for years. And I’m wondering if a blog title can be part of the branding process. People know my blog is called It’s Not All Gravy.
Physical appearances!
I bet my blog doesn’t conform either.
2000 blogs – this Ninja is in awe! My genre is probably really obvious to those visiting my blog. Of course, I’m sure they don’t stop for writing tips.
I recently finished a Media Page, although I hope to add to it in th near future. Thanks for the tips.
If I HAD an identifiable genre I would emphasize it…. (Okay, I am primarily mystery, but it’s all cross over with adventure fiction of some type or other.)
One thing I’ve got to say is that you have the very best blog roll of any I’ve ever seen. It’s one of the reasons your blog is on my tiny blogroll — I know people can find great blogs through you.
:-)
I agree with all your tips. The big one is knowing what genre the writer writes. With the A-Z challenge, I’ve run across several blog – by writers – and I don’t know what genre they write.
Angela–I think it looks great—nice organization on your site, which is really important for what you’re doing.
EngridE–Good luck setting up your blog! :)
Bonnie–Thanks so much! And thanks for the link.
Laura–Ha! I think the mystery blogs are almost as easy to spot.
Margot–Good point! And I’ve run across a few free programs online that will check for broken links on sites.
Diane–Yes, you and I are rule breakers!
Terry–I like it, too! And you’ve got your book covers on your sidebar, so I think they clearly point to your genre.
Maryann–I think that’s because you’ve been a faithful blogger for a while and you’re generous with your time on others’ sites!
Alex–Yes they do! And your blog is perfect for showing your genre.
Stephen–A press kit is a great thing to have on a blog or website.
Holly–And it’s funny, but genre is really the first thing I want to know about when I visit a blog. I read a lot of blogs from other genres, but it helps me put the blog in sort of a mental frame of reference.
Camille–Thanks! I have to say that I think of you as a mystery writer first, although I know you incorporate a lot of different elements in your writing. I’d guess your work appeals to more than a couple of mystery subgenres, too–always a good thing!
This is great, Elizabeth, thank you! Am going to see about adding some things to our blog.
Hi Elizabeth: Great post. I’m a very nervous nellie over venturing out but have decided to take the plunge and these are great tips. Thank you.
Thanks for some good advice–I’m just starting out and taking baby steps. I did newsletters for a science fiction group and a writers’ guild for years, so I have the essays down, but the bells and whistles or “pretties” are requiring some effort to learn new skill sets. Haven’t even started Tweeting yet! Appreciate all the helpful hints I’m getting.
I’m thinking mine doesn’t immediately show my genre…but I really like the look and feel of my blog. Thanks for the tip, though because now I’ll be thinking about how to make it more obvious without a total makeover.
My blog doesn’t conform to the typical dark blog of a crime writer. Like yours my background is white, I like the minimalist look, but it is obvious what I write. Love this post.
What would Somerset Maugham think of all this self-absorption? Can I venture a guess? All of this socializing about writing prevents good writing. Just write.